Anyone prescribed Xanax for HA? Have some questions.

[Jadex9]

Hi guys,

My Dr prescribed me 2 MG Xanax to take twice a day as needed for anxiety, I have never taken this medication, but holy hell does it kick my ass, Im talking asleep within 30 minutes of taking the pill.

Is there anything milder than this? should I half this dose? I enjoy the sleep, but sleeping all day isnt really an effective way to live.

Regards,

Jade

[LiveLaughLove]

I am considering asking my doc for this on a "as needed basis" I hope it does come in a smaller dose than 2 mg

[Phill2]

I also found it to be "too good"
It picked me up but the come down left me wanting more so I flushed them.

[WiseMonkey]

Can you cut the tablet in half with a pill cutter? It's good that you're sleeping but it's function was to help your anxiety. I don't have any experience with this drug but have read that it is addictive, so you want to avoid this. Taking it on an "as needed basis" could work if you were only taking a small dose 2-3 times a week. There are antidepressants that work for anxiety that are not habit forming, which may suit you better.

Hopefully, panic_down_under (forum member) will see this post and give his opinion, he has great knowledge on meds of this nature. Otherwise you could private message him :

[Phill2]

From memory I don't think you're supposed to cut , crush or chew them.

[WiseMonkey]

From memory I don't think you're supposed to cut , crush or chew them.

Maybe not with that med, but you can with sleeping pills which I take on the odd occasion) :winks:

[O_O]

Maybe something like diazepam would be better, if you can get that in the States? It's like Xanax but not as strong.

Still addictive, though, so you probably shouldn't be taking it every day.

If you need constant help for your anxiety then I agree that an antidepressant might be better. It would take some getting used to but might help in the long run.

[Jadex9]

Thanks for your replies everyone!

I am currently taking 1 MG twice as needed, and its working well for me, 2mg was too much.

[Phill2]

Glad to hear you got it sorted :yesyes:

[FamilyPicnic]

I don't take Xanax but I do have a prescription for valium as needed, 5 mgs. I usually cut that in half and take 2.5. I looked at a benzo equivalency chart and see that your 2mgs of Xanax is equal to approx 20 mgs of my valium. That would knock me right out and taking it twice a day, wow, I don't know if I'd ever get off the couch! Of course a lot of this depends on your size; I'm only 110 lbs. Glad to see you got this figured out. It's always best to start out at the lowest dose with anti-anxiety meds.

[DellaStreet]

2 MG?!? Yikes! :scared15:

I've taken xanax as needed for almost 40 years. But I only take .25 mg. Yup, that's 1/4 of a milligram. I break the orange tablets (.5 mg) in half-- that way a prescription goes farther. I MIGHT take another .25 mg within a 24-hour period if I'm really in a bad way. I never take it more than 2-3 days in a row.

I can't imagine remaining upright if I took 2 mg -- that's EIGHT TIMES my normal dose. (I'm not a tiny person either. Weight is 160.)

At .25 mg, xanax banishes a panic attack in 30-60 minutes. Works like a champ. What xanax does for me is turn down the volume on my anxious thoughts, and that includes health anxiety thoughts. It stops the mental flywheel from spinning. Dials down the chatter that I can't control. I consider it my personal miracle drug. That's why I never take more-- I don't want to become acclimated to it.

[Flapj]

2mg is commonly referred to as a "bar" by some people who abuse them because the pill often looks like a scored bar. The scoring is so that you can break off .5 mg pieces. 2 mg is a large dose for most people though. In my experience, Xanax just knocks me out. It's a sleep medicine more than anything else. I find a much better benzo for "as needed" help is Klonopin. It is smoother and wont just knock you out. But it will stop a panic attack in its tracks. I have a prescription for 0.5mg and take maybe 1 per month or less. They are my safety net just in case I cannot talk myself out of feeling panicky. Fortunately that does not happen often. Ask your doctor about clonazepam or "Klonopin"